Glenfinnan Viaduct and Jacobite Steam Train
The Glenfinnan Viaduct is a renowned feat of Victorian engineering and the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland. It takes the West Highland Railway over the River Finnan 100ft below, on its journey between Fort William and Mallaig – and is one of the most picturesque train rides in the world. Built from 1897 to 1901 by ‘Concrete Bob’ McAlpine, the viaduct’s 21 huge arches were constructed using pioneering technology at the time.
From various viewpoints, you can marvel at the sight and sound of the Jacobite steam train traversing the hillside and crossing the Viaduct. It was made famous by the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts Express. Several hundred people were scattered on the hillside to watch the train on schedule.
In 1995 following the privatisation of British Rail, the operating licence for the West Highlander trains was granted to West Coast Railways (WCR), and they began operating the service that summer under the new name of The Jacobite (after the historic Jacobite political movement which has many local connections).
A man was playing the bagpipes near the parking lot after we saw the train.
COINS IN STUMP
The coins are usually knocked into felled tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.
Trees were sometimes used as “wishing trees.” In Britain it dates back to the 1700s. He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and their illness would go away. ‘If someone then takes the coin out though, it’s said they then become ill.
People have been urged not to hammer coins into trees, especially live ones, and stumps amid a growing revival of the "wishing tree" tradition. National Trust for Scotland said it had found growing numbers of coins embedded into trees at its properties.
GLENFINNAN MONUMENT https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glenfinnan-monument/highlights/monument
The Monument was built over 200 years ago in 1815 as a tribute to ‘the generous zeal and undaunted bravery’ of those Highlanders who ‘fought and bled in that arduous and unfortunate enterprise’ – the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
On 19 August 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart rowed up Loch Shiel towards the tiny hamlet of Glenfinnan with a small band of his most loyal supporters. He had called on clan chiefs to muster their men and join him here for a daring quest to restore the Stuarts to the British throne.
When he arrived at Glenfinnan, there was barely a soul to be seen. But in late afternoon, the song of the pipes coming over the hill signalled the arrival of the first of 1,200 clansmen who pledged their allegiance to Bonnie Prince Charlie that day, before setting off to start their campaign.
While the ’45 ended in defeat at Culloden in 1746 and the Highlands suffered punishment and reprisals for years to come, the gathering of clans and raising of the royal standard (or flag) at Glenfinnan that summer was a moment of hope and enthusiasm for many.
The Glenfinnan Viaduct is a renowned feat of Victorian engineering and the longest concrete railway bridge in Scotland. It takes the West Highland Railway over the River Finnan 100ft below, on its journey between Fort William and Mallaig – and is one of the most picturesque train rides in the world. Built from 1897 to 1901 by ‘Concrete Bob’ McAlpine, the viaduct’s 21 huge arches were constructed using pioneering technology at the time.
From various viewpoints, you can marvel at the sight and sound of the Jacobite steam train traversing the hillside and crossing the Viaduct. It was made famous by the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts Express. Several hundred people were scattered on the hillside to watch the train on schedule.
In 1995 following the privatisation of British Rail, the operating licence for the West Highlander trains was granted to West Coast Railways (WCR), and they began operating the service that summer under the new name of The Jacobite (after the historic Jacobite political movement which has many local connections).
A man was playing the bagpipes near the parking lot after we saw the train.
COINS IN STUMP
The coins are usually knocked into felled tree trunks using stones by passers-by, who hope it will bring them good fortune.
Trees were sometimes used as “wishing trees.” In Britain it dates back to the 1700s. He said that a sick person could press a coin into a tree and their illness would go away. ‘If someone then takes the coin out though, it’s said they then become ill.
People have been urged not to hammer coins into trees, especially live ones, and stumps amid a growing revival of the "wishing tree" tradition. National Trust for Scotland said it had found growing numbers of coins embedded into trees at its properties.
GLENFINNAN MONUMENT https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glenfinnan-monument/highlights/monument
The Monument was built over 200 years ago in 1815 as a tribute to ‘the generous zeal and undaunted bravery’ of those Highlanders who ‘fought and bled in that arduous and unfortunate enterprise’ – the 1745 Jacobite Rising.
On 19 August 1745, Prince Charles Edward Stuart rowed up Loch Shiel towards the tiny hamlet of Glenfinnan with a small band of his most loyal supporters. He had called on clan chiefs to muster their men and join him here for a daring quest to restore the Stuarts to the British throne.
When he arrived at Glenfinnan, there was barely a soul to be seen. But in late afternoon, the song of the pipes coming over the hill signalled the arrival of the first of 1,200 clansmen who pledged their allegiance to Bonnie Prince Charlie that day, before setting off to start their campaign.
While the ’45 ended in defeat at Culloden in 1746 and the Highlands suffered punishment and reprisals for years to come, the gathering of clans and raising of the royal standard (or flag) at Glenfinnan that summer was a moment of hope and enthusiasm for many.
© David D. Dolton